Denton County Families Will “Sit-In” To Protest Road Project

DENTON COUNTY (CBS 11 NEWS) – It’s a curvy road in Argyle, covered in gravel and dirt. For some homeowners along Harpole Road it’s also a reminder of country life.

“It’s nice not having the traffic,” explained Cynthia Morse as she walked across her property. “If I wanted pavement I would go move to the city.”

The Town of Argyle now wants to pave the road. Equipment is even in place to start the work, but homeowners say they would rather keep their gravel and dirt road.

(credit: CBSDFW.COM)

Homeowners say one of their major concerns is that most of the road belongs to them.

“They don’t want to compensate us. If they want to compensate us then we might start talking about paving a road,” homeowner Patrick Stewart said, adding, “But, as of right now they don’t want to pay me for my land.”

Town Manager Charles West said he’s heard the concerns. But West claims the town doesn’t need permission to pave the road.

“By this road being open to the public for all of these years, even though it is not deeded back to the town itself, the town has the right to keep it open and maintained,” he said. “It’s trying to make it more cost effective on the town.”

If the pieces of equipment start moving homeowners say they’ll hold a lawn chair protest.They say they’ll sit in the chairs, on the road to block the equipment from doing any work.

“The city should stop at this point and get their ducks in a row,” Morse said.

As it stands, West says the town attorney is looking into whether or not they can compensate the residents.

Construction on the road is expected to begin on Thursday.

The Town of Argyle says at this point there are no plans to expand the road.